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Wednesday 23 July 2008

Storm Dolly Spins To A Hurricane

Sky News (Wednesday 23rd July 2008) says: Tropical Storm Dolly has spun its way into a Category One hurricane as it heads towards Texas and the north east of Mexico, packing 75mph winds.

It is the second hurricane of the June-to-November Atlantic hurricane season, which is predicted to be especially active this year. Some 23,000 people from coastal areas in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas have already left their homes before Dolly's destructive force hits.

Meanwhile, some oil drilling companies have evacuated workers from their offshore rigs - causing world oil prices to creep up slightly.

"The first storm in always gets the adrenaline pumping, and it helps bring everybody into the mind set for hurricane season," BP spokesman Tom Mueller told the Houston Chronicle.

A Category One storm is the lowest rating in the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, but the National Hurricane Centre in Florida still predicted six to 10 inches (15-25cms) of rain over south Texas and north east Mexico in the coming days.